21. Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-One
I’ve spent most of my shift unwillingly watching Alden as if he were some anthropological study. I can’t help but be drawn to him. Why is he always on my mind? And why can’t I concentrate on anything else?
He’s having lunch with his friends, looking relaxed, by his standards, at least. He takes a sip of his water with an ease I find all too sexy. I watch his forearm tense as he grips the glass, bringing it to his lips. How his throat smoothly works the liquid down. He could wrap those thick forearms around my neck any day. A flutter takes flight and catapults through my stomach. I should stop gawking at him before he notices.
Needing a moment to breathe, I escape to a cabana I’ve already checked on. I need space. And air. Even though I’m surrounded by it, for whatever reason, I feel breathless when I look at him. My back presses against the side of the cabana, hiding away from anyone who might come looking. I need a break from the noise and the heat and my hormones that are working overtime to kill me.
“I hoped that was you,” a glossy, deep voice says, knocking me out of my thoughts.
A ray of blond hair approaches me, and I raise a hand to block the sun shining in my eyes. I squint but smile when I recognize the person. It’s Braxton. The guy from the beach. He stops, his eyes twinkling as they look at me. His hand lightly rests on my elbow.
“Braxton.” I release a relaxed breath.
“You remembered.” He chuckles, still caressing my elbow. “I’m touched.”
I’m just as surprised that I remembered him. I don’t normally remember people I just met on a whim weeks ago, but he made an impression. There was something about him that made it impossible to forget. One of my coworkers rushes behind us, and Braxton steps closer to me. His body is now inches from mine, and the proximity makes my heart bounce around in my chest like it’s attached to a flimsy wire.
“Are you staying here? I thought you weren’t in town for long.”
He nods. “You have a good memory. I decided to book a room since it seems my business isn’t as wrapped up as I’d hoped it would be by now.” For a second, something flickers in his eyes, then it’s gone.
I tilt my head, taking him in. “So, you’re stalking me now?” My tone is light and breezy. “I know I’m just downright irresistible, but please, show some restraint.”
Braxton’s face turns a shade deeper before he answers. “I could ask you the same thing, Florida. First on the beach and now here, at the resort where I’m staying.” He tsks. “I’d say you’re the one who can’t get enough of me.”
My snort is obnoxious, and I’m blushing at the nickname he gave me. He looks puzzled before the dam breaks and he laughs with me.
“I’m sorry…” I start, between laughs. “I’ve never made that sound in my life.”
Braxton calms himself down enough to say, “Don’t apologize. It was adorable.”
My heart lurches, and an incredible twist churns my gut. This guy is forward as hell, but I kind of like it.
When I turn my head away to collect myself, my eyes catch on Alden. Not again. He’s looking down at his phone, practically burning a hole in it, lost in his own world, even though there are people around him. Just for a minute, I let myself watch him, and my breathing feels laboured. He looks up, and I think he’s noticed me staring, but he only glances around him as his fingers tap an out-of-sync rhythm against his screen. He seems on edge, nervous even.
When Braxton stops touching me, I turn to look at him. He has a distasteful expression on his otherwise refined features.
“How do you two know each other?” He asks, his urgent tone taking me by surprise.
“Alden? I don’t—I mean, I do, but only in passing.” I take a breath. “He’s been a guest here for years, so I always run into him over the summer.” Braxton hums, but something about him seems off. I can feel the tension radiating from him. “We don’t have to talk about him.”
He mumbles, “Good idea,” but seems miles away.
To break the ice, I ask, “Are you enjoying the resort?”
“What?” Braxton focuses back on me, his eyes blinking like he’s only now cueing into what I said.
“I said, are you enjoying the resort?”
His smile’s back. “Yes, it’s amazing here.”
“You know, I’m not usually this nosy, but I can’t help but feel a little neglected that you keep focusing on Alden rather than me. What’s that about?”
Braxton shakes his head, chuckling. “You’re right. I apologize.”
“Okay,” I say flatly, not pressing further.
But Braxton can sense that I’m not indulged. He runs a hand through his hair, taking another step toward me. “We’ve known each other for a long time, since we were kids, actually. It just seems odd that we despise each other now.”
That’s more information than I want to have about Alden, but I can’t hold myself back from asking follow-up questions.
“Why do you think that is? That he despises you.”
Braxton sighs. “We’ve been competing since before I can remember, and we’re in the same line of work, so you can imagine how difficult that is when we are vying for the same clients. It’s not a great business if you want to make friends.”
“And that’s why you’re here at the same time? To steal a client from him?” I ask.
Braxton’s eyes settle over my shoulder. “It’s not taking a client if he wants to sign with me, but I’m sure Alden doesn’t see it that way. It’s all fair game, but he’s always been too stubborn to understand that.” He looks back at me, this time with an intensity that makes my pulse spike. “I’m not the villain. I never have been.”
“I get the feeling there’s more to it than just rivalry between you two.”
Braxton doesn’t answer, his jaw clenching for a stretch. “You’re pretty perceptive, you know?”
I shrug, still feeling somewhat unsettled. “Comes with the job. I’m pretty attuned to people’s needs, especially in the hospitality business.”
He dips his head down, his voice in my ear now. “Do you know what I need? Right now?”
Through my lashes, I look up at him and smirk. My heart is pounding. “Something to drink.”
Braxton nods. “Preferably with you. Could that happen sometime?”
I’m suddenly feeling hot. “I’ll think about it,” I whisper.
Biting his lip, he finally takes a step back to give me some space. “I’ll be waiting for your answer.” Braxton pulls out his phone when a crude buzzing comes from it. “Sorry, I need to take this. But I’ll see you around.”
I wave before he’s out of sight. “Definitely.”
As Braxton answers the phone and turns the corner, I do something I know I shouldn’t; I chance another look at Alden. This time, when I see him, I also see how uncomfortable and out of place he looks in the growing crowd. My chest aches when I see how much he’s trying to put on a brave face for his friends. I can’t always tell what he’s thinking, but I’m getting better at reading his expressions. For no other reason than to read between the lines. Alden keeps all his emotions bottled up, and maybe if he let some of them out, it could help me understand him better. Figure out what makes him tick.
Stop this. I scold myself because I’m breaking the cardinal rule of any casual fling—do not get attached. But as the days bleed into weeks, that rule is getting harder and harder to follow. Alden leaves in a couple of weeks, and then everything can go back to the way it was before I fell into bed with him. Until then, I’ll keep my feelings in check so when he leaves, my life can go on like he was never even here.